The present invention relates to a bill processing unit used for e.g. a ending machine, a money-changing machine, a pachinko ball dispenser and a metal token dispenser.
In a main unit of dispensers handling bills (including coupons), a bill processing unit for judging the genuineness of an inserted bill and for storing only bills regarded as genuine is normally equipped.
The bill processing unit generally comprises bill transporting means which guides a bill inserted from a bill slot to the main body of the unit, bill identification means which judges the genuineness of the transported bill, and a stacker which sequentially stacks and contains the bills regarded as genuine.
FIG. 6 is a partially-cutaway schematic cross-sectional side view of a major portion of a conventional bill-processing unit 1.
This bill processing unit 1 comprises a rectangular main body 2, where a front mask 4 where a bill slot 3 is formed is removably attached at the lower part of the front face 2a of the main body 2.
The front mask 4 where a bill slot 3 is formed is attached such that the tip, that is, the bill slot 3, is exposed to the outside from a front mask attachment hole formed on a door at the front face of such equipment as a dispenser, which is not illustrated.
A bill detection sensor 5 for judging whether a bill is inserted from the bill slot 3 is disposed directly behind the bill slot 3 that is formed in the front mask 4. Shutter means 7 for opening/closing a bill transporting route 6 connected to the bill slot 3 is disposed in the front mask 4 directly behind the bill detection sensor 5.
The shutter means 7 comprises a shutter 7a that moves vertically in the arrow A direction, by elevation means, which is not illustrated. Since the shutter 7a is disposed at a location very close to the bill slot 3, the shutter 7a is normally positioned at a position indicated by the solid line as an initial position, so as to open the bill transport route 6, because if the shutter 7a closes the bill transport route 6 at the initial position, then a bill inserted from the bill slot 3 may directly contact the shutter 7a causing jamming.
The bill transporting route 6 connected to the bill slot 3 is L shaped, and comprises a horizontal portion 6a, which is substantially parallel to the bill insertion direction, and a vertical portion 6b, which rises up substantially in a vertical direction from the end of the horizontal portion 6a. 
The bill transporting means 8 for transporting the inserted bill along this L shaped bill transporting route 6 comprises a looped bill transporting belt 9, which is extended along the horizontal portion 6a and the vertical portion 6b of the bill transporting route 6, and belt driving means 10 which drives the rotation of the bill transporting belt 9.
The belt driving means 10 comprises driving pulleys 11, 12 and 13 for looping and stretching the bill transporting belt 9, slave pulleys 14 and 15, which are pressed against the cylindrical surface of the driving pulleys 11 and 12 disposed in the horizontal portion 6a of the bill transporting route 6, and pulley driving means 16, which drives the rotation of the above driving pulleys 11, 12 and 13. The pulley driving means 16 comprises a driving motor 17 and a power transmission device 18 for transferring the driving force of the driving motor 17 to the driving pulley 13. An idle pulley 19 for adjusting the tension of the belt is pressed against the bill transporting belt 9.
In the horizontal portion 6a of the bill transporting route 6, which is located directly behind the bill slot 3, the bill identification means 20 for judging the genuineness of an inserted bill is disposed.
This bill identification means 20 comprises various sensors including magnetic sensors, such as magnetic heads, for judging the genuineness of a bill, and photo sensors disposed facing each other. Elements 20a and 20b of the bill identification means 20 are disposed facing each other at a top chute 21 and a bottom chute 22 of the horizontal portion 6a of the bill transporting route 6.
In accordance with this bill processing unit 1, when a bill is inserted into the bill slot 3, the bill detection sensor 5, which is disposed in the front mask 4, detects the existence of the inserted bill, the inserted bill is transported horizontally in the right direction shown in the drawing along the horizontal portion 6a of the bill transporting route 6 by the transporting force of the bill transporting belt 9, which rotates counterclockwise, which is the normal rotation, based on the detection signal.
When the inserted bill is horizontally transported in the right direction shown in the drawing along the horizontal portion 6a of the bill transporting route 6 by normal rotation (counterclockwise rotation) of the bill transporting belt 9, and passes the bill identification means 20, the bill identification means 20 judges the genuineness of the inserted bill.
If the bill identification means 20 judges the inserted bill as counterfeit, the bill transporting belt 9 rotates in reverse (clockwise rotation), so as to return the inserted bill back through the bill slot 3.
If the bill identification means 20 judges the inserted bill as genuine, the bill transporting belt 9 continues normal rotation based on the detection signal, the inserted bill is transported changing direction to substantially 90xc2x0 up along the vertical portion 6b of the bill transporting route 6, and is transported to the stacker 21 which is removably disposed on the rear face 2b of the main body 2, where the inserted bill, regarded as genuine, is stacked in the stacker 21 one by one via a known bill storing means.
As the known bill storing means, which is not illustrated here, disposed in the main body 2, various types are available, for example, the type that contains bills in the stacker 21 using a pantograph type linking mechanism, or the type that contains bills in the stacker 21 by rotating a drum which has bill insertion slots on its surface.
In the conventional bill processing unit 1, a part of the L shaped bottom chute 22 of the bill transporting route 6 is structured to be rotatable on an axis, not illustrated here, as shown by arrow B, so as to make easier the maintenance and inspection operations of the bill identification means 20, such as cleaning, easier. Further, at the maintenance and inspection operations, the L shaped bottom chute 22 is rotated clockwise to expand the space between the top chute 21 and the bottom chute 21, which makes it easier to clean each element 20a and 20b of the bill identification means 20.
Since the L shaped bottom chute 22 is supported to be rotatable as shown by the arrow B, the element 20b of the bill identification means 20, disposed at the bottom chute 21, and a control unit, not illustrated here, disposed in the main body 2, are electrically connected by one cable 23 which is connected to the control unit, the other cable 24 which is connected to the element 20b of the bill identification means 20, and a connector 25 which connects these cables 23 and 24.
In FIG. 6, the numeral 26 indicates a stacker motor, which is disposed in the main body 2, and drives the bill storing means.
In accordance with the above mentioned conventional bill processing unit 1, each element 20a and 20b of the bill identification means 20 is disposed in the horizontal portion 6a of the bill transporting route 6 located directly behind the bill slot 3. Therefore, if liquid, such as salt water, enters from the bill slot 3, for example, the liquid would easily reach the elements 20a and 20b of the bill identification means 20, and when the liquid attaches and dries on the elements 20a and 20b of the bill identification means 20, the bill identification function of the bill identification means 20 would become inoperable.
Also in accordance with the above mentioned conventional bill processing unit 1, the shutter 7a of the shutter means 7 is set such that the bill transporting route 6 is constantly open when the shutter 7a is at the initial position. Therefore, if a foreign object is inserted into the bill transporting route 6, the foreign object would easily reach the elements 20a and 20b of the bill identification means 20, and the bill identification means 20 would be subject to damage.
With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bill processing unit which can prevent a drop in genuineness identification capability for an inserted bill as much as possible, even if the bill slot is subject to a mischievous act.
To solve the above problems, a first bill processing unit in accordance with the present invention comprises a bill transporting route having a horizontal portion disposed substantially in a horizontal direction from a bill slot and a vertical portion disposed rising up substantially in a vertical direction from a downstream end of the horizontal portion; bill transporting means for transporting a bill inserted from the bill slot along the bill transporting route; and bill identification means disposed in the middle of the bill transporting route for identifying the genuineness of the bill being transported, the bill transporting route, the bill transporting means and the bill identification means being provided in a main body of the unit, wherein the bill identification means is disposed in the vertical portion of the bill transporting route.
A second bill processing unit in accordance with the present invention comprises a bill transporting route having a horizontal portion disposed substantially in a horizontal direction from a bill slot and a vertical portion disposed rising up substantially in a vertical direction from a downstream end of the horizontal portion; bill transporting means for transporting a bill inserted from the bill slot along the bill transporting route; bill identification means disposed in the middle of the bill transporting route for identifying the genuineness of the bill being transported; and shutter means disposed in the middle of the bill transporting route for opening or closing the bill transporting route at predetermined timing, the bill transporting route, the bill transporting means, the bill identification means and shutter means being provided in a main body of the unit, wherein the bill identification means is disposed in the vertical portion of the bill transporting route, and the shutter means is disposed in the vertical portion of the bill transporting route which is located downstream of the bill identification means, so that the shutter means normally closes the bill transporting route.